High School Football: Winners and Losers from Sep. 11-13

High school football was the proverbial roller coaster this past week when it came down to game results on the national level. But the real story cones down to just more than just who won and lost. We’re looking at the players who impressed, the coaches who stood out and the fans who are either celebrating or scratching their heads. This week, we’re highlighting the biggest winners and losers – the people and moments that made the past weekend memorable.

WINNERS

Corona Centennial head coach Matt Logan: What a last couple weeks it has been for Logan at the helm of one of the best high school football programs in the land. Logan made his return to the sidelines on Friday night at Husky Stadium after recently being hospitalized for a rapid heart rate. The longtime head coach made a triumphant return in winning his 298th game by beating the previous No. 1 team in the country in Mater Dei. Though at times in the second half things got a little choppy, Logan was able to guide his team back on track and towards one of the biggest regular season victories in recent memory.

New American Heritage quarterback Leon Strawder: He has yet to play a snap for the American Heritage Patriots, but plenty of folks around South Florida can already see that Strawder can be a problem for the defending Class 4A state champs. Strawder left Miami Northwestern, the very team he helped quarterback to a state title last season, for American Heritage. With Dia Bell walking the sideline in street clothes, one has to wonder if the quarterback missing one game could lead to more. The unknown is the status of Bell moving forward for the Patriots, but in American Heritage’s overtime loss to Edna Karr, it’s a signal to folks that if Strawder is inserted at quarterback, the Patriots will be more than fine.

Carrollton Trojans running back Cameron Wood: Over the last couple of years, whenever one would think of the Carrollton Trojans’ offense, Julian Lewis would quickly come to mind. With Lewis now graduated and at the University of Colorado, the team has taken on a little bit more of a ground-oriented identity and that’s behind the hard running of Cameron Wood. Playing on the road against a very good Gainesville (Ga.) team, Wood was highly effective in a 43-21 win as the tailback rushed for well over 100 yards and found pay dirt four times. Expect the senior to be continually leaned upon as Carrollton looks to remain undefeated.

LOSERS

Mater Dei Monarchs: Oh how the mighty have fallen? Well, we might be using that phrase too soon as Mater Dei losing isn’t the end of the world, but certainly shocking when it doesn’t happen to a team that’s name rhymes with Costco. For the first time since the fall of 2015, the Monarchs lost to a team not named St. John Bosco and coincidentally enough, the last opponent other than the Braves was the Huskies. There’s no time at all for Mater Dei to wallow in the loss as they take on Bishop Gorman this upcoming Friday in Sin City. With a chance to prove to the country they’re still the top team in the land, they’ll be plenty motivated. For now, it’s a little bit more of what’s exactly going on with Mater Dei after back-to-back lackluster performances.

Bishop Montgomery football players: Rumors started to circulate on social media Friday night that a group of football players, formerly of Bishop Montgomery, were in search of a new home over in the state of Arizona. In the midst of the school canceling the rest of their varsity football schedule, it has forced the football players of the school to look elsewhere for a place to call home and have the ability to play football. Make no mistake about transferring, this isn’t a isolated problem as it takes place all over the country and California is no different. The difference nowadays is the state is starting to take a harder stance towards transfers and is making it be known to have your T’s cross and I’s dotted because they’re looking a little more into player movement. One has to feel for the Bishop Montgomery players that just wanted to play football this season and are now looking around, hoping to find somewhere before it’s too late.

Millard South Patriots: We bring a team out of Nebraska into the mix here in the Millard South Patriots, who on the field have been an absolutely dominant bunch. This is more about what happened off of the gridiron as the Patriots violated Nebraska Schools Activities Association (NSAA) rules and were handed penalties of having to forfeit their season-opening 49-7 victory over Arbor View, first-year head coach Taylor Mendenhall is suspended, a $500 fine, a written action plan for a lack of administrative oversight and the one-year suspension of a volunteer assistant coach. Make no mistake about whether this impacts Millard South being able to win another state title as they should do that running away. It’s how does this long-term have an impact to the football program, but some time will have to pass in order to see if the Patriots can shrug this off.

How to Follow National High School Football

For high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals National High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals National High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.